Dewatering sand with surfactants

Abstract

Methods of enhancing the dewatering of sand are disclosed. The methods include adding an anionic or nonionic surfactant to the wet sand prior to dewatering.

We claim:  
     
       1. A method of enhancing the dewatering of a slurry of sand and water which comprises adding to the sand slurry, prior to dewatering, from about 1-150 ppm of an anionic or nonionic surfactant, transporting the slurry to a drain stockpile, and dewatering said slurry by draining water from said stockpile. 
     
     
       2. The method as recited in  claim 1  wherein said anionic surfactant is a sulfosuccinate or a sulfonate. 
     
     
       3. The method as recited in  claim 1  wherein said sulfosuccinate is sodium dioctyl sulfosuccinate. 
     
     
       4. The method as recited in  claim 1  wherein said sulfonate is sodium dodecylbenzene sulfonate. 
     
     
       5. The method as recited in  claim 1  wherein said nonionic surfactant is an alkyl phenol. 
     
     
       6. The method as recited in  claim 5  wherein said alkyl phenol is a polyethylene nonyl phenol or a polyethylene nonyl phenol/polyethylene oxide octylphenol. 
     
     
       7. The method as recited in  claim 1  wherein said nonionic surfactant is a block copolymer. 
     
     
       8. The method as recited in  claim 7  wherein said block copolymer is a polyoxyethylene polyoxypropylene polymer. 
     
     
       9. The method as recited in  claim 1  wherein said nonionic surfactant is a glycol ester. 
     
     
       10. The method as recited in  claim 9  wherein said glycol ester is a polyoxyethylene glycol dioleate. 
     
     
       11. The method as recited in  claim 1  wherein from about 10-50 ppm of the anionic or nonionic surfactant is added to the sand slurry prior to dewatering.